


GUARDIAN ANGEL

by BadLittleKittyKat



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-05
Updated: 2020-10-05
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:14:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26823490
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BadLittleKittyKat/pseuds/BadLittleKittyKat
Summary: Daryl is pretty sure Carol's lousy husband, Ed, would never put himself in danger to protect her so he gladly takes on the role of her guardian angel against his brother's order not to interfere. For the first time in his life Daryl defies Merle.This is for sheer fun, not profit. I own no part of these characters or their world. I just like to play in it.
Relationships: Daryl Dixon/Carol Peletier
Comments: 2
Kudos: 19





	GUARDIAN ANGEL

The Georgia sun was hot, hotter than Daryl remembered from other summers and he squinted his eyes against the painful light. Even the shadow of the gnarled old pine didn't provide them much relief. He and his older brother, Merle, were hard at work making arrows for Daryl's crossbow and as he gathered a finished bundle to drop into the storage bag he glanced around for Carol but didn't see her. He wondered where she'd gone off to. He felt a knot of worry stir in his gut. He didn't like it when he didn't know where she was. She was so quiet and gentle it made her pretty defenseless against walkers and she needed watching. He didn't exactly get the idea that her asshole husband would be eager to put himself between Carol and one of those walking pusbags, so Daryl had taken it upon himself to be her protector.  


"Hey, Andrea," Daryl called across the clearing. "You see where Carol went off to?"  


"I think she went up the North path with Ed. He looked like he was pretty annoyed about something. I'm kinda worried. I was about to go check on her."  


"I'll go," Daryl told her.  


"Mind your own business and leave it be, Little Brother. You ain't got no right interferin' with it," Merle hissed. He grabbed Daryl's forearm as though to prevent him from following Carol. "I know ya got the hotts for the little bitch, but she ain't your wife, she ain't your girlfriend or your fuckin' little piece. It ain't none of your business."  


Daryl slammed the bundle of arrows at Merle's feet. They scattered across his shoes and Merle looked up to see his younger brother's face twisted with anger.  


"Don't you never call Carol those things," Daryl snarled. "She's a good woman and she don't deserve what that piece of shit does to her! I'm goin." Just stay out of it, Merle."  


"Hoo-hooooo," Merle laughed snidely. "Well looky here. Little bro's got his pants in a hitch over the little piece he wants ta fuck. Now ain't that a hoot."  


In the next instant Merle found himself on his back in the hot Georgia dirt with Daryl crouched over him, his fists still doubled in case Merle decided to get up to return the favor.  


"Okay, Little Brother, suit yourself," Merle said as he rubbed his throbbing jaw. "Go ahead and get your face bashed in by her hubby. Ya ain't no fighter. Best you can do is a sucker punch and ya only get one. Next time I'll black both your eyes, Boy. That's a promise."  


Daryl dismissed his older brother with a flip of his finger, turned and crossed the clearing swiftly in the direction Andrea said Carol had gone. He passed Andrea who was standing stock still with the shock of seeing Daryl lay his brother out flat.  


"Stay here," he growled and headed up the trail. "I'll make sure she's okay."  


It didn't take long to find them. Ed's angry booming voice and Carol's frightened whimpers told Daryl exactly where they were. His expert tracker's eyes could tell Ed had pulled Carol up the trail and he spotted the place where Ed had stopped pulling and had dragged her into the bushes and the clearing on the other side. Daryl heard the sound of a hand slapping on skin and heard Carol cry out. Fury rose in his chest and he felt the animal need to tear Ed to pieces. He burst through the bushes in time to see Ed push Carol onto the ground and level a vicious kick at her ribs. Carol screamed in agony. Ed pulled his booted foot back to ready another kick at Carol who lay shaking and crying at his feet but it never connected.  


Daryl grabbed Ed by the collar of his filthy shirt and spun him around. Ed's eyes grew wide at the terrifying sight of Daryl's murderous fury. Daryl wasted no time slamming his fists into Ed's fat gut and tearing into Ed"s face. Each time his fist brought blood gushing from the beautifully shattered nose he felt intense satisfaction. He'd wanted to do this for so long, everytime he watched how Ed treated her. Every blow he landed was for her, payback for every damned cruel thing Ed did to her and it still wouldn't be payback enough.  


Ed was on the ground now and Daryl was hunkered over him, mindlessly pummeling his hateful, piggish face. He promised Ed he'd be unrecognizeable when Daryl was through.  


"Daryl, stop," Carol begged weakly. "Stop. Please."  


"Okay, Little Brother. I think you done made your point. Come on, now.Get offa him No need to off the bastard. Come on, now. Let it go. Come on."  


Merle dragged Daryl up and off Ed who lay groaning and shaking and clutching his bloody nose and torn face. His eyes darted around in terror, searching for a way to escape the angry lunatic redneck who had just beat the holy hell out of him. The way Daryl was shouting and snarling and fighting his brother's grip to get back at Ed he didn't trust Merle to be able to hold onto Daryl much longer.  


"Calm down, Daryl," Rick said. "Can't have you killin' the sonuvabitch even though he's a fucking sunuvabitch."  


Apparently Andrea had run for camp to bring Rick back to help Merle control his little brother and he joined in trying to keep Daryl from killing Ed Peletier with his bare hands.  


"Don't ya never touch her again!" Daryl screamed and spit toward Ed. "Don't ya never lay a hand on her! I swear ta God next time I'll kill you! I'll fuckin' kill you!"  


Ed struggled to get to his feet and walked slowly away, trailing blood as he went. He went without a word or a glance toward Daryl, but he could feel the red-hot murder in Daryl's eyes following him every slow, painful step of the way.

When Ed was out of sight Daryl shook their hands off and went to Carol. She was still lying on the ground with Andrea bent worriedly over her. Carol was sobbing and shaking and it killed Daryl to see her like this. He knelt next to her, not really knowing what to do, but needing like hell to do something. This caring shit was all new to Daryl and he was uncomfortable on unfamiliar ground and this was definitely unfamiliar..  


"Carol?" he said softly. He touched her hair and stroked it softly. "Carol, lemme take ya back to camp. You can rest in my tent. I can sleep outside. Come on. Lemme get ya back. Okay?"  


She turned her face to him and his heart broke to see what Ed had done to her. She was a mass of bruises and cuts on her arms and her beautiful face and she was holding her side where Ed had kicked her. He prayed nothing was broken. Ed had really done a number on her and Daryl felt sick.  


"I'm takin" ya home, Carol. Come on, now. Hold onta me."  


"Be careful, Daryl," Andrea worried, her hand on Carol's arm.  


"I got her," Daryl said. "I'll be careful. I got her."  
He lifted Carol in his arms and held her gently against his chest.. She felt so small and he cradled her almost like a baby. The last thing he wanted was to hurt her more. She'd been hurt enough at the brutal hands of Ed Peletier.  


"I'm here, Carol." he whispered. "He ain't never gonna hurt ya again. Never. I won't let him. I swear it, Carol."  


Carol listened to his words and snuggled into his chest and held tightly to him. She felt safe in his arms and didn't want to let go. Daryl felt it and found the courage to kiss her forehead softly.  


"Daryl," she whispered. "Daryl."

"Shhhhh," he whispered. "I'm takin' ya home. You're safe now. You and Sophia both. He ain't gettin' near ya. Not ever again."  


Daryl paid no attention to the others. Right now Carol was the center of his world, the only thing that existed and he carried her carefully through the bushes where they disappeared from sight.  


No one said anything till Merle finally piped up with, "Well shit-damn! Never thought I'd see my soft, sweet little brother step up like that. He put the hurt on ol' Ed but good. Never thought the day would come I'd be seein' that." Merle chuckled. "My damned little bro finally manned up. Just choc fulla surprises today, that boy." He rubbed his sore jaw and grinned.

Merle glanced toward Andrea. 'Whaddya think about that, Sugartits?"  


"Shut up, Merle!" Andrea spat out disgustedly and pushed her way through the bushes to catch up with Daryl and Carol.  


"What'd I say?" Merle looked genuinely surprised.  


"Shut up, Merle," Rick echoed Andrea's words and left him standing alone.  


"Well shit damn," Merle said.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm pretty new to this fanfic thing, so please be kind.  
> 😆 😆  
> If you liked this, other chapters will follow soon. And there will be smut. Oh, yes, there will be smut.  
> Thanx for reading. Hope you enjoyed.


End file.
